baifra

Hi Anthony, I have PMed you. Thank you guys for your kind words and support. It is very much appreciated!! Kadbury, How is Spice today? Hope she comes home soon.

Thanks for that!! Much easier than getting it shipped over from the USA. The other ones were lozenges aswell so it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Even though it's a US website, they actually ship from Fiji of all places, not America. I assume because the US company is owned by an Indian-born doctor who probably has Indian contacts in Fiji (Indian as in Bombay, not American-Indian). It's not actually made in America as there is currently only one manufacturer in the whole world (in Germany, if I recall), so it'd likely be the same lozenge wherever you buy it. PS. That link's not working for me. It says it can't find the server. I had no problem getting through to the site. The lozenges are 4mg and they are quite expensive at $60 for 30 loz. Iv'e ordered the 5mg ones anyway, just waiting for them to arrive!! Sammy's back legs seem to be getting worse at quite a rapid rate. Her BSL's are stable but she seems disorientated at times and she pants a lot. We have moved to the tropics this past month but she is always in the airconditioning and no one else is hot so im wondering if her time is nearly up!!

This compounding chemist sells oral methylcobalamin, although it's a lozenge (tricky dosage method for a dog) - quite expensive too. Thanks for that!! Much easier than getting it shipped over from the USA. The other ones were lozenges aswell so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Oh im so sorry for your loss of Loo. I have only recently read your thread on her. Hope your doing ok. RIP lovely lady. :D

Hang in there, You are doing really well. As Spice has so many other health issues, there are going to be set backs but her will to live is obviously very strong and you are providing her the best of care. Good to hear that she is alert and wanting her tucker!! Gotta love the cheeky ones.

RIP beautiful old girl. It's never easy to say goodbye

Hi StaceyB, How is Gypsy today? Did you manage to make her vomit?

I doubt that it would do any damage if it was only one or two. I was advised by my vet years ago to give panadol to my dog for pain relief (before i knew better) and it never hurt her. If your really worried or you think she may have swallowed more, ring an after hours vet and see what they say. Better to be safe than sorry. I hope your girl will be fine!!

If honey works thats fine. You can also get a jar of glucose from the party decoration isle of the supermarket. You know where they keep the icing decorations? I got a jar of that and then went to a camping store where i bought little screw top canisters that waterproof matches are kept in. I decanted the glucose (which is slightly yellowish but mainly clear looking) into the containers and always keep one in my handbag, one in the car and one tied to her lead so there is one handy where ever i am. Paranoid i guess but i wanted the added security of always being prepared!! Dont rub too much into the gums at once as you can get a rebound hyperglycemic event which the vet said can be dangerous. The glucose/honey or whatever you choose to use will work very quickly when rubbed on the gums so you will see her responding to the sugar and be able to gauge how much is enough. Always take her to the vet immediately if she has a 'hypo'. It sounds like your doing a wonderful job. Your catching on a lot quicker than i did! For moinths i didn't want to leave Sammy alone, Even for a little while 'just in case' !! Anthony, you are not kidding about the price of cataract operations for dogs. My mothers Rottie has them and was quoted $3,000 per eye!!! Needless to say Mum is still 'thinking' about it!!

RIP beautiful man Your handsome face will be so sadly missed.

Sounds like a bleed in the brain, or a clot. Doesn't look good. What did the vet say?

Go for it!! My twelve year old lab had the same thing done and she is also diabetic. Just have the pre op bloods done as sheree_e4 suggested.

That was a beautiful tribute to your cat Morris. It's also the second time today i have cried from what i have read on this forum. RIP old fella.

Thats fantastic Kadbury. Im so happy for you and Spice. What an inspiration you and her are!! The beauty of the diabetic routine is that it really is more stressful for you than it is the dog!! They know they are getting food after the injections so it's no big deal for them!! She has proven to be very resilient, What a great dog. Good luck!!

Thank you so much for that information on the B12. Im going to order some and see how she goes on them. I'll keep you updated on how she goes. Watching her walk is heartbreaking and to see her get so excited when the leads come out for a walk upsets me as i only take her for 10 minute walks 2-3 times a week and my other 2 get walked twicw a day! I wasn't too keen on the arthritis diagnosis either because she didn't seem to be in pain at all and most times she doesn't seem to realise that her back legs are crossed over or bent at strange angles. I am forever correcting her back legs or lifting them for her. By the way her bark is different, something i hadn't really noticed until you mentioned it. I know my girl wont be around forever but until i see the light go out of her eyes i will do everything possible to give her the best quality of life. Thanks again Anthony for all the info you have provided. Im very keen to try this B12 and see how she goes. Kadbury, Spice (Hope) have you changed her name?, looks great!!! She will be up to no good in no time!!!

Hi Anthony, The human insulin seems to work really well. She has been on it for 2 years now and the cost difference for me is enormous. It costs about $54.00 an ampule and lasts me close to a month.The caninsulin just got too expensive and when i changed vets he said they were starting to introduce the protaphane for that reason. My vet also said that caninsulin was initially marketed as a once daily dose but it was quickly discovered that it was far more effective as a twice daily dose. My new vet who has always used caninsulin, was very interested in protaphane, he did quite a bit of research and is now in the process of changing his regular diabetic dogs over from caninsulin with great success and with very happy dog owners as the price is so much cheaper. I cant say for sure if Sammy's condition improved because of the change from caninsulin to protaphane as she went from caninsulin once daily to protaphane twice daily so it was probably a mixture of the both. It's interesting you mention the loss of nerve sensation in the extremities as Sammy is hopeless on her legs and that side effect has never been discussed with me. We put it down to arthritis (spinal) and she is on NSAIDs. I guess she is no spring chicken either!!! Thats sad about glucoma happening so fast in your dog. Im glad Sammy has never had a problem with that. She's had enough medical problems on her plate!!

Your right Anthony, a diabetic dog is an expensive dog!! but i must add.... worth every cent!! I take blood from sammy's elbows, she doesnt even feel it. I just couldn't bring myself to prick her lip!! I also dont even use the lancets. I just use the little needle in my hand. I find the little 'pricking device' too harsh even on the lowest setting and the sound would startle sammy. With regards to her eyesight, sammy is nearly thirteen years old and she has had diabetes for nearly 3 years and her eyesight is fine according to the vet. Her eyes have no cloudyness however, she has always been in otherwise good health not like poor Hope. Sammy is on an insulin that is given to humans, called protaphane. It has both short and long acting insulin. She got switched to that when her caninsulin dose got to high and the costs were getting a bit out of control!!! That online forum you provided is an excellent resource Anthony, i never knew it exsisted.

Oh that sounds better, I couldn't for the life of me work out how weekly injections would work.!!! It's not a bad thing if she needs two injections a day, in fact sammy went from one to two injections a day and her energy levels went right up, she looked happier and more alert and her blood sugars were much better. I also use a blood glucose monitor however i very rarley use it anymore. To start with to get a feel for the whole diabetes thing i took them all the time and kept a diary of what they were, what she ate if they were high or low, after certain snacks and exercise and so on and quite frankly nearly did my head in!! But it does allow you to know your dog and what will increase her blood sugars. The vet will also appreciate the diary as he/she will be able to see a pattern and decide whether the insulin needs to be adjusted. However over time you will know exactly what is going on with Hope. With Sammy, if she drinks a lot, i know she has high blood sugars also she will be a bit lethargic. Her blood sugars have never been too low and she has never had a 'hypo' but i always carry a small cannister of glucose around on walks and there is one in my handbag and in the car. I will go and catch up on the other thread now and see how wonderful everyone has been in the cause for Hope!!

Sorry it's taken so long to reply, i have been travelling!! Sammy gets fed eukanuba seniors light dry food and some canned food only because she likes it and not for nutrional purposes obviously!! It's normally just 'my dog' from the supermarket. I very rarley change her diet as her blood sugars get a bit out of whack. She doesnt mind. The most important thing is portion control and consistantcy. She has breakfast at a certain time which consists of wet and dry food and a frozen yoghurt, diet, no fat or sugar and a schmako's raw hide. She gets the same thing for dinner 12 hours later minus the yoghurt. In between meals she gets only carrots and i dont limit these as they dont appear to effect her blood sugars. She didnt love them to start with but found out very quickly that it was a carrot or nothing!!! Does Hope only get weekly insulin? how does the vet monitor and regulate her blood sugars? What is the name of the insulin being used?. Sorry about all the questions but im very interested in the subject.

Hi Kadbury, What they will do with Hope initially (from memory) is keep her for the day and give her insulin, then they will probably want to keep a close eye on her for another 24 hours or so doing regular blood glucose levels(BGL). This is to establish how much insulin she will require to keep her BGL''s within acceptable limits. When my girl was diagnosed i had to take all the food, including snacks that she consumed in a day with a complete list of her routine including what times she ate and what exercise she did. She will either be put on once daily or twice daily insulin injections. (they dont hurt the dogs and they will eventually learn that when they see the needle it means food is on the way!!) My girl bows her head for me so i can inject her in the scruff of the neck!! Sorry im getting a bit bogged down with details!! Because Hope is still in ordinary condition and still needs to put on weight, her insulin doses will probably be variable until she gets better. If you google diabetes in dogs you will find heaps of info, mostly american but still helpful. Like i said to you before it is a bit overwhelming to begin with but it becomes very routine (monotonous at times!!!) soon enough. The vets have been very supportive with me over the last couple of years so you should find yourself a vet your very comfortable with as you will see a lot of them to begin with!!!

She looks like a beautiful old soul we were looking at through ARF. RIP lovely lady.

They worked for me too. However i do need to change mine every month or so or i start to see the burn marks again.

Oh Chopper looks so sweet and innocent in your avatar, it's hard to believe that he can be so destructive!!!

Grapes are VERY toxic to dogs. Im pretty sure it causes kidney failure and they are right when they say that it doesn't take much to potentially harm your doggie.

After i read your post i went off and did some research. Im a nurse and work in ICU so thats why i only see the acute DI, i never even considered that it could be a chronic problem but after reading several articles i now understand. There's quite a lot of information out there for dogs with DI which was very interesting reading. Sounds like a fairly managable disease really. My dogs DM is easily managed now but i found that initially i was quite overwhelmed!! I hope your doggie is ok. Good luck. Your right about being the only one who really knows if your loved one is 'not right''.